Reviews by Immortale25:

A- Pours a 99% opaque black color with a 3/4 inch tan head that bears great retention time before slowly meandering down to an 1/8 inch ring around the edge of the glass and full tufts of surface foam. Solid, semi-thick lacing.

S- Sharp, grassy hop bouquet that's rounded out well by the rye malt. Very pleasant actually. The hops are wonderfully floral and citrusy.

T- That's what I'm talkin' about. Flood of glorious hop bitterness that''s perfectly in contrasting unison with the rye malt. It's not quite as bitter as Union Jack, though. Much more enjoyable. There are tropical fruit notes but they're distorted, in a good way, through the semi-roasty malts. Also some light spice.

M- Delicately creamy and robust. Medium carbonation is on point.

O- Such a great beer on so many levels. I'm having trouble finding a single flaw.

More User Reviews:

Generally-black-looking, it's actually a very dark brown when held up to some light. A nice couple-centimeter light tan head leaves lacing.

It really kind of smells like a spruce tree, with the pine needle resin and everything. There's even a bit of sap or maple syrup. And also a delightful little mix of zesty tropical fruit such as pineapple, grapefruit, and mango. I can indeed detect a little chocolate and roasted earth as well, but it's buried a bit underneath the IPA scents. Fabulous aroma here.

The flavor immediately delivers a pine-laced tornado of astringent hops and citrus. Then I realize that the tornado swept up some loamy soil off the ground (must have passed over some fertile soils), and again the orange and chocolate (an orange grove and a chocolate factory? Damn, you get around, tornado). Wow, what a wild ride.

Feel-wise, we're treading in nirvana territory. Full but not full. Crisp but mellow. kuaffable, but not overly thick. It is one with the universe.

Despite the dark beer qualities this black ale certainly does have, this is truly an IPA at heart. And a delicious one. Now I think I'm detecting some of that grainy, spicy rye in the aroma and finish... excuse me while I go step back into the tornado.

Dark almost black color from a draft pour. 3 fingers of head. Dissipated quickly. Strong hop aroma. Mild and balanced in the mouth. Loads of roasted malts, citrus, some rye definitely. Little bitterness but hidden. Very complex and well done. Very different. If you like ipa and stout, this tastes like a good marriage of both.

APPEARANCE: The Wookey is surprisingly black, as in, it has to be pretty close to the absence of light altogether. Nothing is getting through this beer. On top rests an egg shell colored finger of head which settles into a half-finger and remains there throughout the first half of the glass. The lacing is foamy and pretty evenly distributed over about 70% of the back of the glass.

SMELL: Wookey Jack has always been one of my favorite smelling beers. It has an intense aroma that always greats the nose early and once it’s all the way in the glass, well, the smell is simply a beautiful thing. It has a huge citrus component along with a good dose of spice and a hint of roastiness.

TASTE: The Citra hops are the star of this show. They are certainly present in the nose, but on the palate they bring through a large wave of citrus that carries with it a little tropical fruit (especially as it gets warmer). As the citrus passes another big wave of flavor comes through in the form of a beautiful spicy rye. A touch of roastiness is also present, particularly in the aftertaste, and it ties the whole experience together. This is a remarkable beer.

MOUTHFEEL: The body is surprisingly light for a beer of this color. On the other hand, the carbonation is a little on the low side given the big, bright, citrusy flavors. While there is enough malt to balance this out nicely, the finish is very dry and it clears the palate quite nicely.

OVERALL: This is ridiculously good beer. It is getting harder and harder to get genuinely excited about a year-round beer that is widely distributed in my market, but this beer worth getting excited about. It is easily the best beer I’ve had in the American Black Ale category, close to perfection.

wondering how this baby ages? It is extremely extremely unique and passionate. Very successful. I'm comparing this one to Sanitas' black IPA. Yet this is one a much more mature effort. Sanitas' achieved a fiery, zingy, youthful, very stylish jab at the style. And it was good, but not deep. FsW brings in artistry and depth. Where Sanitas was grapefruity and hop-zippy, the Wookey Jack was extremely exotic, dense, woody, lush, eccentric. There is smoke here; there is soot; there is char; rye barely, strangely, sneaks in; there is... passionfruit? no, currant? no, black cherry? i genuinely am not sure. But there is a perfume here. A fruity, perfume-y, earthy musk, in flavor, but also, somehow, in feel. 8.3% and unfiltered. Enjoy

Poured from a 650 ml bottle into a Teku glass. Bottled on 5/15/14 stamped on the label.

Pours an opaque black color, about 50-60 SRM with a khaki colored head that dissipates slowly. Visible lacing all around the glass as it is consumed with a constant ring around the glass just at the surface of the beer.

Smells of roasted malt, sweet caramel, rich hop oils, and grass.

Tastes sweet upon first sip with a nice chocolatey middle and a dry roasted malt finish with a pleasant bitterness from the hop content.

Very slick on the tongue with a slight prickliness that leaves the mouth yearning for another sip. Leaves the mouth feeling dry upon swallowing but definitely compliments the palate.

One of the best ABA styles I have had the pleasure of consuming. Quite drinkable despite the 8.3% abv and very easy on the palate. Would definitely seek this one out.

S: Right off the bat is a noseful of fresh, sticky, resinous hops; somewhat grapefruity. The second is a sort of sticky, bready maltiness often found in DIPA’s. I’m also getting a fair amount of rye spice. Add these together and you get a terrific aroma.

T: Resinous hops meld with strong bready, caramel-like malts that don’t quite taste roasted, but definitely let you know they’re of the ‘dark’ variety. Strong grapefruit flavor. Rye taste is also present but not terribly strong, especially towards the finish which is on the sweeter side. Despite thorough hoppiness, this beer is only mildly bitter, and much of that bitterness is roasty in nature.

Poured into an imperial nonic a deep cola color with one finger beige colored head atop.Great aromas of roast,earth,and pine resin,a littlbitter chocolate is there as well as the beer warmed a little.Big roast up front on the palate with earthiness and bitter chocolate,the piney hops hit hard in the finish.This is a big brash ABA,maybe the best I have had.Awesome